Baltimore Medical System Earns National Recognition for Patient-Centered Care

February 2, 2018

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January 31, 2018

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Baltimore Medical System Earns National Recognition for Patient-Centered Care

WASHINGTON, DC—The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) announced that Baltimore Medical System (BMS) has received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Level 3 Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long‐term, participative relationships.

The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients’ experience of care and reduce costs. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care.

“NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that Baltimore Medical System has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.”

To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, BMS demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s standards, embodying characteristics of the medical home. These standards include Patient Centered Access; Team-Based Care; Population Health Management; Care Management and Support; Care Coordination and Care Transitions; and Performance Measurement and Quality Improvement. NCQA standards are aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.

Since its first recognition in 2012, BMS has worked diligently to maintain the PCMH recognition with NCQA. This is an on-going process that defines the quality of care BMS provides to its patients and community. In order to maintain NCQA recognition BMS will continue to demonstrate the PCMH concepts and consistently work in the PCMH model of care.

About NCQANCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

About BMS

Baltimore Medical System (BMS) is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) system in Maryland. BMS operates six health centers, four pharmacies and eight school-based health sites serving over 49,000 patients annually. BMS patients receive Patient-Centered Medical Home care, a team-based approach using evidence-based medicine to meet a patient’s physical and mental health needs. BMS provides healthcare to all regardless of one’s ability to pay. For more information, visit bmsi.factorydev.net.